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Author: mysty Story: Harry Potter and the Mystery of Myrddin's Torch Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 0 Words: 40,548
In the fading light of a Welsh sunset, Fawkes and Harry reappeared in a very small clearing surrounded by a densely wooded area. They seemed to be alone. Harry let go of the phoenix's tail. Fawkes settled onto Harry's shoulder and gave a quiet trill. They began to hear noises growing louder as Tonks and Kingsley crashed through the underbrush. "Wotcher, Tonks!" said Harry, nodding to Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Glad you could make it." "We should move toward the north and speak as little as possible," was the reply from Kingsley. Tonks nodded in return. Kingsley held out his wand and said, "Point me!" The group moved as silently as possible in that direction. As they came onto a small rise, Harry recognized the hillside scene from the box carving. Still traveling north as darkness began to fall, they were startled by a couple of birds chasing each other out of a bush. Harry's eyes were drawn to something he thought he saw through the leaves. Brushing back a branch, Harry saw what appeared to be an old stone statue pushed into the side of the hill. The statue was of two birds with a basin in front of them as though it was once a fountain or a birdbath. The basin was filled with leaves and debris. Motioning to the others, they moved aside some more branches revealing what appeared to be a small opening in the hillside. It was the entrance to a cave. Harry pulled out his mirror and said, "Remus Lupin." His old professor's face appeared in the mirror, looking a little tense. "We think we may be near the entrance. Was there a statue of two birds next to it?" Harry asked. Remus looked relieved. "Yes, follow the entrance for about ten feet and turn right. You should see a large cavernous room. Let's keep the mirror going while you walk." "Sounds good," answered Harry. "We should be fairly quiet though," he added looking at Kingsley. Neither Auror had said anything while he spoke with Remus. Harry wondered briefly if Kingsley had to put Tonks under a spell to get her to be this quiet, then decided that she was just well trained. Kingsley went first into the dark entrance, holding up his lit wand so they could see. Harry went next, followed by Tonks. Fawkes stayed on Harry's shoulder. The interior was narrow and low ceilinged. They had to walk single file. Just as Remus had described, the entrance corridor gave way toward the right and let out into a large cavernous area. From the entrance, it seemed as large as the Great Hall at Hogwarts only dark, cold and damp. As Harry walked into the room, torches lit all around the walls. The room seemed to fill with a sweet smell to replace the dankness he had noticed before. The air seemed warmer and filled with golden light. The stone walls glittered. Fawkes flew around the room singing a pretty note. All three rescuers breathed easier. Harry said into the mirror, "Wow! You never said this was such a nice cave, Professor Lupin." Noticing that Remus was still in darkness, he added, "Why aren't the torches working in your cave? Where is the entrance so we can get you out of there?" "Torches? What torches, Harry? There weren't any torches when I came through the main cave. It was as dark as this one. Are you sure you are in the right place? Is there a large stone box in the center of the room? Are there any artifacts there, like weapons or pottery?" Remus sounded worried. "Maybe you just arrived during the day and the torches only work at night," suggested Kingsley. "The stone box is here as are the weapons and the pottery. The entrance was just the way you described. I think this is the place. Now where are you?" "On the far side of the door was a suit of armor that was lying on the ground. I was looking at that when I noticed a place in the cave wall where the walls appeared to overlap creating a small opening. When I walked through, a great wind came up and somehow the opening disappeared. Is there an opening from your side?" Remus asked. Kingsley and Tonks were already checking. Harry was going to follow them, but when he neared the stone box, it opened noiselessly. Kingsley and Tonks had found the suit of armor and pointed at the opening. "Harry, we found it," Tonks called. "Coming!" he answered, still trying to peer into the dark interior of the box. "Whoa..." exclaimed Tonks. "Check it out, Kingsley. That wasn't open before. Did you open it, Harry?" Kingsley didn't look too happy at the thought of Harry poking around. "I swear I never touched it. The lid just lifted as I walked by. Let's leave it for now and find the Professor," Harry said, sounding concerned. He moved toward the suit of armor. Fawkes landed on his shoulder as he joined the Aurors. Looking around he said, "Do you see the opening he was talking about? There!" He pointed to what did appear to be two walls of the cave overlapping. At almost the same time, Tonks suggested, "Maybe we should take a torch?" and Kingsley said, "Wands ready!" The three walked slowly toward the opening with Harry and Fawkes in the lead. As Harry walked through, the torches sprung to life revealing a second, smaller cave. This one was completely empty except for Professor Lupin, who was blinking at the light and very glad to see them. Harry gave a shout in greeting and handed him his wand. He'd found it on the ground in the main cave. "Let's get out of here before that wind starts!" Remus said, gathering his rucksack and brushing off his robes. Fawkes sounded his agreement. The group stayed close enough to touch each other as they moved back into the larger room. Remus sighed in relief as they walked toward the exit. "Why did you come here in the first place, Professor? What were you looking for?" asked Harry. His outstretched hand held a sandwich. "I thought you might be hungry so I brought you something." Remus took it thinking, ‘That looks too fresh for a sandwich that was in Harry's pocket.… Do I want a sandwich that has been in Harry's pocket?' Hunger won out and he took the food gratefully. "There's more where that came from," Harry said. "Shall we look into that stone thing now? Or do you all think we should just get out of here while we can?" he asked. Still busy with his sandwich, Remus said, "How did you get that open? I tried everything I could think of before I gave up. I was beginning to think it was a solid block of stone." "Do you think it is someone's grave? Someone who was really little's grave?" suggested Tonks, her eyes widening with curiosity. The four of them leaned over the box looking into its dark depths, their faces a mix of wonder and fear. Fawkes took off around the room again trilling, bolstering the group's courage to look into the mysterious hold. "It's a sword," said Harry. The sword appearing while Fawkes was singing reminded him of the Chamber of Secrets which of course reminded him of Ginny. He wished she was here. He couldn't wait to tell her about this adventure. That brought him out of his musings. This adventure could still end badly. "Should we lift it out?" he asked the others. Kingsley reached for the sword then collapsed with a scream. "Ow...*&^%#*," he swore. "You try, Harry," said Tonks. "Thanks, Tonks. I like you, too," answered Harry. "No, think about it. The box opened for you, maybe you can lift the sword." She sounded sincere. "This is real life, Tonks, not a Disney movie. And this sword isn't stuck in the stone so that we need the young and pure at heart. Kingsley's in pain. NO THANKS!" Harry answered. "Disney movie?" said Remus, looking confused. "What's the worst that could happen, Harry? Kingsley's over it now, aren't you? Why not give it a try?" Harry looked at Kingsley who was still rubbing his hand, but otherwise was just fine. He nodded his agreement. With a grim face preparing to be zapped, Harry reached for the sword. As he lifted the hilt, a shower of sparks flew out the end and a glow encompassed both the sword and Harry. Harry felt a surge of warmth and power flow through him. For a full minute the group looked in awe at Harry holding the sword. No one knew what to say. Harry broke the silence with, "Can I keep this?" They all laughed. Fawkes returned to his shoulder. "Scratch that question. I am keeping it. If you try to stop me, my sword will zap you." Harry grinned and picked up the scabbard as well. A cold wind blew from the entrance, making the torch light flicker. "We better get going," said Kingsley, looking around suspiciously. "Meet you back at Hogwarts. You first, Harry." No clue as to what Kingsley expected him to do, Harry started to ask. "Wha…" was all he got out before Fawkes Disapparated with him in tow. They were suddenly flying over the Forbidden Forest toward Hogwarts, the phoenix's strong talons gripping Harry's robe. The forest was dark, but he could see the lights of the castle in the distance. 'This must be what hang-gliding is like,' Harry thought as he relaxed into Fawkes' grip. This was fun. The castle grew larger and larger until Fawkes set him down gently at the front entrance. Harry walked through the front doors with Fawkes on his shoulder. Professor Dumbledore greeted them. "Ah, there you are," he said as Fawkes left Harry for the Headmaster. "Was your trip a success?" he asked, even though he seemed to know the answer. "I think so. Fawkes took me away so quickly that I'm not sure the others made it out of the cave." Harry wished he had stayed until everyone Apparated away. "Harry Potter!" His double mirror was calling. "Remus Lupin!" Harry answered, looking into the mirror. "We're down by the Hogwart's front gate. We should have brought a special Portkey, but we didn't so we had to Apparate. Could we meet in Dumbledore's office? Or is it too late." Harry wasn't even a little bit tired. He looked questioningly at the Headmaster. "By all means, let's meet in my office to hear about your adventure," he answered, his eyes twinkling. "Did you hear that? See you in a few minutes." "Let's wait for the others here," said Professor Dumbledore. "Can you tell me about your sword? Where did it come from?" Harry told him all about finding the sword within the stone box, how it zapped Kingsley, but not Harry. The others arrived and moved up to the Headmaster's office. Harry was extremely relieved everyone was unharmed by the night's adventure. He was more nervous than he thought about seeing Professor Lupin. Suddenly he was glad there was a crowd, postponing the time he would see him alone. "What do you make of it, Headmaster? Do you want to hold it?" he asked, grinning, as they settled into the chairs. Ignoring Harry's challenge to touch the sword, Dumbledore said, "Professor McGonagall will be back tomorrow morning. She can probably help us figure out some things about your sword." Kingsley Shacklebolt gave the report of the evening's activities. It seems that when Harry and Fawkes left the torches went out and someone or something began to enter the cave. The group had Apparated away just as the light they were carrying had begun to illuminate the scene. He wasn't sure whether or not they had been seen. "Really we rescued Remus with some ease considering. We just walked in and walked out with him. The question is why were we able to do that?" Tonks asked, "Then someone shows up just as we were leaving." Turning to Shacklebolt, she said, "I told you that I thought we were being followed." He answered, "Or was this some kind of trap? If it was a trap, were we smart to let Harry take away that sword? Maybe it should be checked out, or at least taken somewhere for safekeeping. What do you make of it, Albus?" "I'm not sure, Kingsley. I do not believe that the arrival of this unknown party was a part of a trap. Remus has been there for days. They would have sprung a trap in time to actually catch you there. In any case, I wouldn't have put Harry in danger if I had known someone else had an interest in the area. It is curious that the torches lit when he arrived and went out when he left, but there could be any number of explanations for it." If Dumbledore thought it was a mystery, then it was really a mystery. "Do you have a theory about the sword?" Harry asked, hoping that no one would suggest taking the sword away from him again. "Your new sword is indeed a puzzle, Harry. I am suspicious. However, I think it more likely that someone arrived looking for something within the cave. Since they brought light with them, it is doubtful that it was an animal seeking shelter. Very likely, your sword was their target. In which case, it is fortunate you arrived there first," Dumbledore answered. "Is the sword what you were hoping I would find?" Remus asked. Ignoring his question, Dumbledore said, "Now, I would like you to check in with Madam Pomfrey for the night, Remus. You have been through a bit of an ordeal. While you look fit, it won't hurt to get a good rest before we examine these events further. And Harry, you may of course keep your new sword with you, but I caution you against using it for anything before we inspect it more closely." 'What if Nearly Headless Nick challenges me to a duel? Or Sir Cadogan?' Harry thought, relishing the idea of swordfighting with someone. It was unlikely he would ever actually use it in a real sword fight. 'Maybe, someday…' He put the sword in its scabbard with a sigh. Noticing that the Headmaster had conveniently not answered Remus' question, Harry persisted. "What were you hoping that Professor Lupin would find in that cave? You said you recognized its location based on the carving on the box. How? Is that cave famous for something? I can't sleep unless I have some answers." He wasn't planning on being just a tool in Dumbledore's schemes. Without a full and complete explanation, he wasn't going anywhere. Seeing that Harry wasn't going to be thrown off the track, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. His lips curved into a small smile at Harry's persistence and he said, "Unless I am very much mistaken, that cave is Myrddin's Den, the historical site where Myrddin himself is believed to have spent much of his life." Kingsley and Tonks looked shocked. Harry was a little confused. Dumbledore continued, "Myrddin is supposed to have been born in the area. Legend has it that he built a refuge in the hills where he would retreat from life and enjoy the Welsh landscape. It is referred to as Myrddin's Den." Harry still looked blankly at the Headmaster. "Honestly, what does Professor Binn's teach in his History of Magic courses?" asked Remus. "Myrddin is the Old Welsh pronunciation of Merlin. The cave must have belonged to Merlin, which raises the question of the sword. Is it Merlin's sword? What does this have to do with Harry?" Since Harry was still staring, taking all of this in, Dumbledore answered, "The real Myrddin lived so long ago that it is difficult to know some of the circumstances. But his name was Merlin Emrys, not Merlin Potter so any kind of genealogical connection is doubtful." Looking at Tonks and Kingsley he said, "I would hope that no rumors surface suggesting that such a connection exists. It could cause problems." Putting his hand on Harry's shoulder, he began walking toward the door, "Will that help you sleep, Harry? We can talk again tomorrow." A/N: Thanks to Hollow Godric, who knows a whole lot about writing, for beta reading this story! I'm learning.
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